Enchanting Review: The Princess and the Pauper

THE PRINCESS AND THE PAUPER

KATE BRIAN

Contemporary YA

Simon Pulse

ISBN# 978-1416953692

288 Pages

$8.99

Trade – Available now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

When Carina, Princess of Vineland ends up in Los Angeles on her goodwill tour, she’s anxious to ditch her bodyguards and chaperone for a night out. But everyone would miss a Princess and there’s no way she can sneak out to meet Ribbit, the lead singer of Toadmuffin who she’s met online. But fate seems to intervene when on a trip to her grandmother’s alma matter, Los Angeles’ Rosewood Academy, she and her best friend bump into Julia, who Ingrid is convinced could be Carina’s double—with the help of a mini makeover of course. The hitch is talking a reluctant Julia into making the temporary switch.

Julia Johnson is your normal teenager. A scholarship student at the prestigious Rosewood Academy she has a chance encounter with Carina and her best friend in the girls bathroom. But when Ingrid and Carina spring their idea on her, Julia is anything but interested. She looks nothing like Carina! But when they offer her enough cash that she and her mom won’t lose their apartment, Julia has a hard time saying no. Following a couple impromptu ‘Princess’ lessons, Julia’s thrust into the Princess’ life and into the arms of Carina’s supposed boyfriend, who was supposed to be duller than dirt.

Told in alternating chapters by both girls, THE PRINCESS AND THE PAUPER is a fun read. There are a few chapters in the beginning that slow things down a little, but the action picks back up once the girls make the switch. Carina finds out Ribbit may not be her Prince Charming after all, and Julia finds herself falling for a real Prince, the only hitch is he believes her to be Carina and there’s no way she could ever tell him different.

My favorite parts of the book were when the girls switched places. Julia stepped into the role of Princess of Vineland rather easily, while Carina struggled a little to step into the role of an ordinary teenage girl, especially at the club where she’s taken to meet Ribbit. But what ensues, especially with Carina is nothing short of highly entertaining. Some definite laugh out loud moments ensued.

Kate Brian is the author of the popular The Princess & the Pauper, The V Club (available in paperback as The Virginity Club), Lucky T, and Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys. She will always be sweet sixteen at heart.

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

July 2008

Enchanting Review: Fake Boyfriend

FAKE BOYFRIEND
KATE BRIAN
Contemporary Young Adult
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN# 978-1416913672
272 Pages
$16.99
Hardcover - Available now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Deciding that their best friend Isabelle needs someone better than Shawn Littig aka “Sluttig”, Vivi and Lane concoct a plan to keep Isabelle from rebounding back into Shawn’s arms just in time for prom. But where to find a guy great enough to distract her? Look no further then a fake boyfriend. After scheming up a myspace page for ‘Brandon’, Vivi quickly recruits her younger and extremely annoying brother Marshall to fill in on IM while the girls go out in search of someone to play ‘Brandon’ for real.

I thought FAKE BOYFRIEND was a fairly entertaining read. There were some parts of the book I figured would just never happen, like Isabelle falling for a perfect stranger so fast after being so hung up on Shawn. I have to admit Isabelle seemed more of a background character at times, even though the plot evolved around Vivi and Lane securing their best friend a brand new boyfriend, all to keep her from falling back into the arms of her cheating on-again, off-again ex. Things picked up once Vivi and Lane really got into the search for the perfect real life ‘Brandon’ and Marshall’s evolution from a preppy geek to possible hottie.

My favorite scene from the book is when Vivi, Lane and Curtis head to the local prep school which is supposed to be hottie central to find a real-life ‘Brandon’ to take Isabelle to prom. The scene is truly laugh out loud and had one of the best lines in the book.

Kate Brian is the author of the popular The Princess & the Pauper, The V Club (available in paperback as The Virginity Club), Lucky T, and Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys. She will always be sweet sixteen at heart.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
June 2008